Dry battery



Jan. 4 1927. 1,613,327

E. E.ME|sEKoT|-|N DRY BATTERY Filed May 12, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m S////////////////////////////////////////////////////l///////// 1,613,327 Jan- 4 1927-* E. MElsEKoTHEN DRY BATTERY Filed May l2. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet z Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

. UNITED STATES PATENTy oFFICE.

EDWIN E. MEISEKOTHEN, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T FRENCH BATTERY COMPANY, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION 0F WISCONSIN.

:DRY BATTERY.

Application led May 12, 1924. Serial No. 712,839.

This inventionl relates particularly to a battery comprising a nest of dry cells, and

` to a method of producing the nest, or container, in which the dry cells are housed.

The improved battery is particularly Well adapted for use as a B-battery for radio purposes. l

The invention is illustrated in its pre- Uferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which; f

Figure l is 'a vertical sectional view of the improved battery in an embodiment in which the nest, or cell-container, and the dry cells confined therein, are inserted in a box and sealed therein; Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view showing'a modification in which the cell-container has applied directly thereto a label of heavy paper which projects above the plane of the to of the cell-con- -tainer, thus affording a ganga Within the boundaries of which the seal is located; Fig.

3 is a vertical sectional view showing a modification in which two loaded cell-containers are contained in one box; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cell-container and cell,

shown in Fig. 1, for example; Fig. 5 is a.

v vertical sectional View of a device for forming the molded cell-container; and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the Wire form which is shown in section in Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. l and 4, A represents an integral molded cell-container provided with a plurality of cell-chambers, the container being molded, or formed, of fibrous vegetable matter, such as wood pulp; B, dry cells located in the cell-chambers, C, abox into which the loaded cell-container is introduced; `and D, a seal formed preferably from a suitable sealing compound, such as sealing wax, or pitch.

The cell-container A may be formed, or molded, inI a manner which will beexplained 'with reference tov Figs. 5 and 6; or, it may be formed by a presslng operation in ordinary molds. When press-molded, the cell-container is composed of vegetable libre, such as woodcp'ulp, mixed with and impregnated by bin ingmaterial, such as a solution of shellac, or any natural or artificial resin. Any analogous binder may be employed. Preferably, the binder ris both of water-proofing character and of insulating character.

The cell-container isprovided with rows of cell-chambers l, marginal walls 2, and division walls 3.

The dry cells may be ordinary flash-light cells having the usual zinc cups 4, affording one anode of the cell and having a central contact 5 which projects from the central 6 carbon anode. The naked cells may be introduced into the cell-chambers 1, that is, it is unnecessary to wrap the zinc cups with paper, or otherwise cover the zinc cups. The electrica] connections between the cells may be made in any desired manner. In the illustration given, the battery is equipped with a terminal 6 which is connected Wit a zinc cup 4 of an initial cell, and a terminal 7 is connectedwith the central contact of'the final cell, as shown in Fig. 4. The cells are -connector and the zinc cup will be established by the insertion of the cells in the as- 85 sembling operation.

The box C may be an ordinary pasteboard box,and may have applied thereto a paper label 9. l Y 'The upper margin of the box affords a flange l0 within which the seal D is located. The seal is preferably formed by pouring fused sealing wax, or other suitable sealing compound, into the space above ,the dry cells after the loaded container has been introduced into the box. In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the cell-container and the cells are of the same construction and arrangement as already described with referenceto 'molded cell-containers A, A, are used.4

Fig. l, and corresponding pats are desigmatedl by the same reference characters. vIn this case, the paste-board box C is omitted and a heavy paper label 9" is pasted directly upon the outer surface of the. cell-container. The label is allowed to project above the plane of the top of the cell-container, thusaffording the peripheral flange 101L within which is conned the seal D.

In themodification shown in Fig. 3, two

acell in. the lower container, the strip 11,

extending along the outer surface of one y end of the'upper container. The cellsof the lower tier are connected in series by theconductors '8. The linal cell of the lower tier is connected by a conductor 12 with -the initial cell of the upper tier, the initial cell of the uppertier being, in this case, at the remote right-hand corner of the Vlassembly. The cells of the upper tier are' connected in a suitablearrangement by means of thel connectors 8. Any desired arrangement may be employed asl will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

In Fig. 3, the right-hand cells of the front and intermediate rows are shown broken away to expose portions of the `remote cells, -designated B". Thebox C has its upper end projecting above the plane of the upper surface of the upper cell-container, thus affording a peripheral flange 10? within which is located the seal D2. The cell-chambers are of a form to conform to the zinc cups, which usually are of circular cross-section.

If desired, the 'integral cell-container may be formed by means of the device illustrated 'in Figs.- 5 and 6, where E represents a tank or vat; F represents a bell; and G represents a wire-gauze Jform, or mold, wh1ch 1s removably held in the bell F. The tankE may beI filled to the. level designated 13, with water or solution containing wood pulp, for exam.

ple. Suction is'applied'to the bell through the pipe F, tlu1s drawing the water and pulp upwardly through the' bell. The fibre collects in the spaces 414 wliiehjcorrespond' with the walls of the cell-container. In this manner, au integral cell-container may be formed, which may be regarded as being virtually a molded container, since it conforms to, or is molded by the screen form as the accretions of pulp are deposited against the walls afforded by the screen While the solution containing the pulp is drawn therethrough. The wire' screen form Gmay be pi'ovidedliy pressing oi' molding asheet of linel wire netting in sucli a manner as Vto provide the spaces 14 which correspond with the division walls of the cell, the spaces l5 which correspond with the cell-clia1nbe1's, and tlie`` top plate 1G which corresponds with the top of the molded container.

After the cell-container has been formed in the devices shown'in Figs. 5 and 6, the

bell may be lifted from the solution, and,

if desired, heat may be applied. The mold-.

ed container may be loosened from the form by applying general lair pressure through the bell; or, if desired, the air pressure may be applied before the container has been subjected to heating or drying, and' may thereafter be heated or dried. i

vWhen the container is formed in the manner just described,` it is preferred to immerse it in some water-prooling materialof insulating character, or to` otherwise impregnate the fibrous body composing'the c ell-` container.

Molded cell-containers may be produced cheaply and expeditiously; 'they' are light and strong; they may, withfacility, be inserted vin paste-board boxes within which they lit snugly; or, they may have labels api' plied directlyto their outer surfaces in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2.

One advantage .of the new construction and method of 4assembling islthat itis unl necessaryto coat'or otherwise cover the eX- terior surfaces'of the yzinc-cups 0f the dry cells. The dry cell may be inserted, in

naked condition, directly into the dry cell which is light and fairly strong and adaptedl -to the formation of the cell-container by molding, pressing, or forming, may be employed. 1-llso.'the.boxy or wrapper which af- -fords the peripheral wall about the sealing compound may be ofy any suitable material.

The foregoing *detailed descriptionhas been given-for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefronnbut' the appended claim should be construed, as broadly as permissible, in viewof the prior art',I

What l -regard as new,and'desiie to .cure by Letters Patent, is: Y A

A battery comprising apliiiality. ofiiiiegral molded cell-containersof fibrous conipositior'i, each cell-container'having a pluraly ity of cell-chambers openat the upperend, one of said containers being disposedab'oi-e the other, dry cells conflled'in said chain- Abers, a boX containing the loaded'co tainers -100 chamber; and the assembling operation may affording a flange extending above the upper container, sealing compound filling the space above the upper container, a terminal having a lead extending downwardly along the outer surface of one wall ofy the upper con tainer and connected with the zinc-cup of a cell in the lower container, and a lead connected with the central terminal of one cell' in the lower container and extending up wardly along the outer Surface of 4one wall of the upper container and electrically connected at its upper end with a zinc cup of a cell in the upper container.

EDVIN E. MEISEKOTHEN. 

